Okay, so there probably wasn’t popcorn at the original Thanksgiving feast but there most definitely was corn itself. It’s kind of the whole reason why we even have Thanksgiving to begin with (you know since the gathering was a celebration of the Pilgrims’ first corn harvest and all). And since popcorn is the greatest thing EVER, we’ve created a popcorn recipe that’s perfect to pop some fun into your Thanksgiving celebration this year.

½ cup of popcorn kernels

4 tablespoons of coconut oil

2 tablespoons of butter

½ cup of pure maple syrup

½ teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon of ground ginger

½ cup of dried cranberries

½ cup of chopped walnuts, pecans, and/or almonds

3 tablespoons of light brown sugar

1. You’re going to be baking this popcorn treat, so preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Take out a heavy-bottomed pan and toss in the coconut oil. Heat it up on medium/high heat. When it’s good and hot, put a kernel or two into the oil and wait until they pop – that’s how you’ll be able to tell if it’s warm enough.

3. Go ahead and add the rest of the kernels to the pot. Cover it and gently shake it around to evenly coat the kernels with oil to keep them popping. When you can count 5 seconds between pops, they’re done.

4. Pour popcorn into a bowl and mix in the cranberries and nuts. (It’s best to use tongs to do this.)

5. In a saucepan, bring butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and salt to a boil. Cook for a minute and then add in the rest of the spices. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes – until everything’s well mixed together – then allow it to cool.

6. Pour the syrup over the popcorn and toss it some more. Then spread the mixture onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove it, cool it, break it into clusters, and you’ve got a delicious treat the Pilgrims would be jealous of.

About the Author:

"Katie Straw" is the writer at KingOfPOP.com, maker of delicious handcrafted gourmet popcorn, and currently resides in Manchester, New Hampshire.